12/4 update: Josh Jacobs is OUT for Week 13. Fire up Devontae Booker as a solid FLEX option against the Jets
Raiders running back Josh Jacobs had a strange game against one of the league’s leakiest defenses. The second-year back put up an abysmal 27 yards on seven carries and added another 17 yards on three grabs. He also lost a fumble and injured his ankle in the process, ending his day prematurely while his team got drubbed by the Falcons, 43-6. With Jacobs off the field, Devontae Booker totaled 22 snaps and could be in line for workhorse duty against the lowly Jets in Week 13 if Jacobs sits out a week.
Ian Rapoport reported Jacobs sprained his ankle and will have tests early in the week. He also added Jacobs “has a chance” to play against the Jets and the injury looked worse than the actual diagnosis.
Either way, Booker is averaging 5.9 yards per carry this year and is a true three-down guy who can catch the ball out of the backfield. His season highlight was when he put up 81 yards and two scores on 16 carries, in a Week 10 win against the Broncos.
That’s a better example of the type of usage Booker would see against the Jets, rather than the extremely limited usage he saw during their Week 12 ass whooping.
We’ll likely know Jacobs’ diagnosis by Wednesday and if he’s on the fence, it would make sense to throw the FAAB bag on Booker. In the worst-case scenario, if Jacobs suits up, you have yourself a nice handcuff if you’re a Jacobs owner or you have someone else’s handcuff to stash down the line if Jacobs were to reinjure his ankle or remain sidelined.
Either way, at this point of the season it’s smart to handcuff your workhorses and fill your bench with high-upside backups who could start down the road. Imagine facing off against a Jacobs owner in the playoffs and you get to start Booker while his RB1 is glued to the bench?
Available in 90 percent of leagues, Booker is well worth a chunk of the FAAB off the Week 13 Waiver Wire.
